why do people feel the need to buy expensive cable

The blank look on his face.

He still doesn't hear her.

Yes I'm going to keep extras from now on to mix and match I just found a match when tube rolled my CD player. You just never. If you can afford the best get them. If you can't be resourceful as possible and get the best you. Or if you think chicken wire works do that but don't judge others because they can do what you can't or choose to do what you won't. lol you know in this hobby we all have to have our music meds. We are all medicating of the music juice. We are not normal Chris Rock plays a drug addict in a movie called New Jack City his eyes are buck wide and his famous scene goes. " I be trying to kick the habit but it be calling me. It be calling me"

What we are willing to spend for treble extension, bass response and midrange magic.

the blank look on his face.

he still doesn't hear her.

8^) Bingo

Just a cartoon sure, but the message to me is powerful - this dude has some serious endorphins flowing ...
I run every morning and by the end of the run, I have a nice endorphins release. Its all downhill after that until I can recreate this release later in the day with another activity. That's the drive for me. I look forward to my music for this reason. This is a phenomena "the endorphins release" that for me personally takes place in Music Lover mode. Not in Audiophile mode (Audiophilia nervosa)
If I am dissecting the music into sounds highs, mids, lows (like when setting up a room) there is no release. Setting up a room is a lot of fun, but its like a project , a temporary thing; till I can get the balance working in the room to trigger the effect - for me.

Do I hear differences in cables, interconnects, wires ? Hell yeah. But once I have achieved the above, I know "usually" to stop and enjoy the music. Other hobbies also keep me honest to myself. I happen to live in a climate that has real winter. I need Music to help me get through it. The dwellings in order to deal with frost have full basements. You can go pretty crazy with a hobby like this if not careful.

Going forward if we ever move house, my experience tells "me", I should look to capture the above with as little outlay as possible since this is all about myself.

This probably means I will will be selling off some wires, cables, interconnects down the road. It is in my personal interest to therefore hear good audiophile stories about how cables did good things for them. :^)

Just sayin' - imo..ime

btw - I have yet to find a better definition of "Nearfield" than that Pic.
That Poker Face (blank look) is also a great tool for all married audiophiles. Known my for wife 30 years since I was 23.

Happy Listening (with whatever cables help to get the endorphins rolling for you... )

:^)